Triple bogey on 18 costs Patrick Cantlay outright lead headed into final day of Southern Amateur

Patrick Cantlay came to the final hole at Shoal Creek Friday in the third round of the 104th Southern Amateur Championship fresh off an eagle on 17 and with a three-shot lead. Seven shots later his lead was gone and he finds himself in a three-way tie for the lead with Blayne Barber and Bud Cauley going into the final round.

Cantlay has posted rounds of 66-68-71; Barber 70-69-66; and Cauley 73-64-68; all at 205, 11-under-par. They are one clear of Cheng-Tsung Pan, who has shot 65-70-71--206.

Cantlay, who hails from Los Alamitos, Calif., and will attend UCLA as a freshman this fall, had a mixed bag of scores, particularly on the back nine where he went birdie, eagle, par, bogey, three pars, eagle, triple bogey.

"I hit one really bad shot (all day) and it cost me a seven," Cantlay said about his tee shot that he lost way left on the closing hole. "I can't dwell on that now (his poor final hole). I'm still tied for the lead and if someone had told me that at the start of the tournament, I'd have been happy.

He is being chased by Walker Cup player and University of Alabama rising junior Cauley, who started with a bogey, but then got going with birdies on his next three holes. Three more birdies followed against just one more bogey to give him a 68 and a tie for the lead.

"My swing was a little out of sequence, but I'm pleased to have hung in there and get right into contention," he said. "I got a lot out of my round."

The winner of the Southern Amateur also gets an exemption into the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour.

"The exemption would be a nice gift, but winning the Southern Amateur wouldn't mean any less without the exemption," Cauley said.

Barber, who transferred to Auburn last summer from the University of Central Florida and had to sit out a year, starts for the Tigers this fall as a redshirt sophomore.

He made the biggest move of the day to get into Saturday's final group, that will tee off at 9:10.

"I'm very pleased. I stayed patient and things came around for me on the back."

Indeed they did as he added birdies on Nos. 11, 12, 13, 14 and 16 to the two he made on the front before a final hole bogey left a slightly sour taste in his mouth.

"I'm thrilled to be in the final group and plan to give it my best shot."

Barber transferred to follow his coach Nick Clinard, who took over the Tigers golf team this time last year.